Elon Musk sure knows how to rile up the crowd. The billionaire entrepreneur is known for his eccentric tweets, which are more intended towards coaxing a certain reaction from his over 214 followers than anything else. As his hand gesture during US President Donald Trump’s inauguration rally continues to stir controversy, the X owner on Friday evening tweeted that he’d ‘lose his mind’ if he sees another Nazi salute on his feed, going on to say that the algorithm of his microblogging platform “sucks”.
If I see one more damn Nazi salute in my feed, I’m gonna lose my mind 🤪
This algorithm sucks!!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 24, 2025
Following the tweet, Musk’s followers saw this as an opportunity to do precisely the same. The comment section of the tweet was immediately filled with dozens of photos with the same controversial salute. From Arnold Schwarzengger to Superman, photos of personalities and celebrities doing the Nazi salute flooded the comment section almost immediately.
I thought you would appreciate this one! 😄 https://t.co/laau7JSh4K
— Moving_On (@ItsTime456) January 24, 2025
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) January 24, 2025
— 🇺🇸AmeRican🇵🇷 (@patriotUSAmom) January 24, 2025
— Politi_Rican 🇵🇷 𝕏 🇺🇸 (@TheRicanMemes) January 24, 2025
it’s only a Nazi salute when Elon Musk does it, when Tim Waltz does it then it’s just a hand gesture. pic.twitter.com/NDBnkMbgYM
— Crazy Vibes (@CrazyVibes_1) January 24, 2025
@elonmusk Ya gotta admit, this one is good. The memes that have been bestowed upon us are glorious 😆 pic.twitter.com/v9eBrbgIpl
— AIRON SHERM (@Atronsherman) January 24, 2025
Despite intending to be funny, the posts are simply anti-Semitic. But, then again, that’s X for you in the Elon era.
What’s The Nazi Salute Controversy All About?
A video of Musk making a hand gesture during the Trump inauguration rally on January 21 has ignited a wave of debate on X. Many users claimed the movement resembled a Nazi salute, leading to sharp criticism and widespread discussion.
Speaking at the rally held at Washington’s Capitol One Arena, Musk hailed Trump’s election victory as a crucial turning point in human history. “This was no ordinary victory. It was a fork in the road of human civilisation,” Musk told the crowd.
The controversy stemmed from a gesture Musk made during his speech, where he placed his hand over his chest and extended it outward at an angle. He repeated the motion while addressing the audience behind him, which sparked online comparisons to a Nazi salute.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE MEDIA
The media is misleading you. Elon Musk never did a Nazi salute. Watch the full video: He simply gestured and said, “Thank you, my heart goes out to you.” pic.twitter.com/e3vBaLoVqx
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) January 20, 2025
While some users condemned the act, others rushed to Musk’s defence, arguing that the interpretation was exaggerated.
Unperturbed, Musk brushed off the allegations with a pointed tweet. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” he posted.
Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.
The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired 😴 https://t.co/9fIqS5mWA0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
There’s no doubt that Musk commands a great hold on public opinion, especially with his tweets. At the time of writing, his ‘algorithm’ tweet has already generated over 50 million views and the number’s counting. One could hope that he wielded this power to spread some awareness on important topics.
Instead, Musk chooses to defend his salutes and hand gestures.
